Highland Dancing | United Kingdom - Scotland

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Highland dancing is a style of competitive solo dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the 19th and 20th centuries in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games.

Thx Steve!

Toka Festival | Vanuatu

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The three day Toka or Nekowiar Festival on Vanuatu’s Tanna island is one of Vanuatu’s most spectacular custom ceremonies. This gift-exchanging ceremony makes a magnificent sight, as up to 2000 participants attempt to out-do each other with their lavish gifts, dancing skills and ornate makeup. This festival is a symbol of alliance between different tribal groups and the more they give, the larger the status they acquire.

Thx Steve!

Dancing on the beach | Vanuatu

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Vanuatu is a Pacific island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is located in the middle of northern Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji.

thx Steve and Lyndy for this great surprise!

Bamileke dancers | Cameroon

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The Bamileke is the native group which is now dominant in Cameroon's West and Northwest Regions. Many traditional Bamileke still dress in costumes when performing a ceremonial dance or for tourists passing by.

The costumes are rather large and typically cover the body from head to toe. Each society within the Bamileke have their own particular costumes and style of dance.

Mask Festival | Papua New Guinea

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The Mask Festival was initially introduced in 1995 and is staged as an annual National event to promote the unique Mask Cultures of East New Britain.

Together with their amazing costumes, groups from all across the islands gather in the coastal town of Kokopo to showcase their elaborate ancestral and spirit masks whilst performing ritual dances, each style forging the unique cultural identity of a tribe.

Island of Pines | New Caledonia

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L'Île-des-Pins is a commune in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean.

L'Île-des-Pins is made up of the Isle of Pines, the smaller Kôtomo Island, and several islets around these two, as well as the distant island of Walpole, which is located almost 150 km to the east.

The card is picturing a child performing the traditional Wapan dance.

 

Stamps

The ‘stamp’ on the right is pre-printed. 

King Mswati III of Swaziland

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The Kingdom of Swaziland is a landlocked country, located between South Africa and Mozambique. Makhosetive was crowned Mswati III - King of Swaziland on 25th April 1986 at the age of 18. He thus became the youngest ruling monarch in the world.

Mswati III of Swaziland was born on the 19th April 1968 as the second of 67 sons of the elderly King Sobhuza II, and the only child of Queen Ntombi Tfwala, one of the kings 70 wives. Mswati III currently has 27 children from his first 13 wives and wives-to-be.

Stamps

Butterflies of Swaziland, issue 1992 as part of a set of 12 stamps (definitives).

The tree stamp is part of a set of 13, issued in 2007 (definitives).

Mind the great airmail sticker!

Guatemala, parque nacional Tikal

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In the heart of the jungle, surrounded by lush vegetation, lies one of the major sites of Mayan civilization. Located in Northern Guatemala, Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the Maya civilization.

The ‘Dance of the reindeer’ is an ancient Mayan custom, a story about how humans must learn to respect the natural world and when they don’t nature takes revenge. Once upon a time hunters killed every deer they saw in the forest. The other animals were enraged and chased the hunters far away.

Be careful not to take more from the forest than you absolutely need to otherwise bad things will happen.

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(left) Part of a set of four stamps about legends and myths: El Sombrerón: the man in the large hat.

The capital of Argentina

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Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina.

The tango is a partner dance that originated in the 1870s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay, and soon spread to the rest of the world.

Tango is a popular dance that has influences from European and African culture. It was originally considered a scandalous dance. But at present it is the representative dance of Argentina around the world.

A Postcard from the Pacific: Samoa

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Samoa Islands is an archipelago covering over 3,030 km2 in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia. The islands have two jurisdictions, the independent country of Samoa in the western half of the islands, and the territory of American Samoa comprising the islands to the east. 

Dancing, singing and music play a big part in Samoan culture. Samoan dance, like their music, stems from the desire to reflect every emotion through art. Siva is a Samoan word for dance. The Siva is also a particular dance performed by women using graceful hand movements to act out an everyday activity.

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(left) In 2007 Samoa issued a set of 12 stamps picturing churches of Samoa. This one pictures Malua Theological College.

(right) A $2 overprinted millennium stamp. 

It took almost 17 months for this card to reach its destination. Well, Samoa is a looong way but…there is another reason. Our local mailman decided not to deliver all of the mail, but save some in his garage. He was caught recently and some days ago I received 60 postcards in my mailbox. My missing postcards since 2011! 

Thx Rod!

Maasai jumping dance, Tanzania

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The Maasai are semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They own large herds of cattle, sheep and goats which they follow around seasonally in search of new grazing grounds and water sources.

The Maasai are famous for the “jumping dance” which is called adamu. It is performed when a circle is formed by the warriors, and one or two at a time will enter the center to begin jumping while maintaining a narrow posture, never letting their heels touch the ground.

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Zanzibar attractions Series II, Ngalawa sailing off the Jambian coast. The Ngalawa is a traditional, double-outrigger canoe of the Swahili people living in Zanzibar and the Tanzanian coast. 

Tanzania's Masai Traditional Dancing

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The Maasai are semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They own large herds of cattle, sheep and goats which they follow around seasonally in search of new grazing grounds and water sources.

Traditionally the Maasai have always been a proud and independent tribe. They did not cultivate the land and depend on a cash economy as many of those around them did, rather they lived off the blood, milk and meat that their cattle provided them. 

The Maasai warriors perform “the jumping dance” or “adumu” to mark the “Eunoto” (the coming of age ceremony of the Maasai warriors).

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(left) 350th death anniversary of Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640)

(right) Wild Animals of Tanzania (2010 issue): Elephants.

Lebanese Folk Dancers in the Forest

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Dabke is an Arab folk dance native to the Levant countries only. It is popular in several Arab countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Northern Saudi Arabia. It is widely performed at weddings and joyous occasions. Dabke in Arabic is literally "stamping of the feet”. At weddings, the dance is sometimes performed by a professional troupe dressed in costume.

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The Jewel of Lebanon. Lebanese singer Nouhad Wadi Haddad, known as Fayrouz (1935).

Joncunu dancers from Belize

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Belize is a country located on the north eastern coast of Central America and it is the only country in the area where English is the official language. Belize is bordered to the north by Mexico, south and west by Guatemala, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea.

Joncunu or John Canoe, is a dance that originated in times of slavery and is performed around Christmas time. The participants will dress up in white masks and venture from house to house in order to receive food and drinks from that household. Some say the dance is meant to mimic white slave owners and their behaviour.

In Belize the Joncunu is part of the Creole and Garifuna cultures. The Creoles are direct descendants of British slaves.

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A postcard from the Kingdom of Tonga

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The Kingdom of Tonga is a sovereign state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean.  A group of more than 170 islands spread over an area of the South Pacific roughly the size of Japan. Tonga is the last Polynesian monarchy.

George (Siaosi) Tupou V, King of Tonga died 18 March 2012 at the age of 63. He is succeeded by his younger brother, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata. He takes the title King George Tupou VI.

George Tupou V was crowned king of the small Polynesian nation in August 2008. He took over after the 2006 death of his father, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who had ruled the small Polynesian nation since 1967. 

Stamps

(left) From a large set of definitives about birds:  A red shinging parrot.

(right) A Wahoo-fish

Thx Rod!

A Bontoc Wedding Dance from Phillipines

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Philippine folk dance has a long and diverse history. Each region in the Philippines features its own folk dances, originating from the precolonial era to the time of the Spanish occupation from the 1500s until the late 1800s. Most of these Filipino folk dances tell stories about historical happenings, ways of life, cultural influences and religious customs.

Bontoc comes from the word buntuk, which means mountains and refers to the people of Mountain Province. Today, many of the Bontoc cultures and traditions are rarely practiced and slowly disappearing.

Stamps

(left) a Marmorated Cone

(right) a Polyclad Flatworm

A Postcard from the Republic of Palau: Belau dancers

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The Republic of Palau (Belau) with its main island Babeldaob, is an island nation in the northern Pacific Ocean, located some 700 km east of the Philippines. The population of Palau is approximately 21,000.

“Palau offers you the world's most beautiful tropical paradise. Famous for its diving, Palau is rated as one of the world's best diving destinations by scuba aficionados. And why not...Palau has unspoiled reefs, caves, and walls with the most amazing array of marine life you can ever imagine.”

Stamps

From a set of 22 fish stamps: a Giant Kingfish, a Pink Anemonefish and a Peach Anthias.

THx Rod!

Kathakali Dance from India

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Kathakali is the most well known dance drama from the south Indian state of Kerala.  The word Kathakali literally means "Story-Play".  It is known for its large, elaborate makeup and costumes.  The elaborate costumes of Kathakali have become the most recognised icon for Kerala.

The themes of the Kathakali are religious in nature. Kathakali has a long tradition.  It dates back to the 17th century. A Kathakali performance is a major social event.  They generally start at dusk and go throughout the night.

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(left) Protul Chandra Sorcar (1913 – 1971), a famous Indian magician.

(middle) Major General Dewan Misri Chand (1907 – 1970).

(right) Gaurishankar Dalmia (1910 – 1988) took an active part in the freedom struggle.

A postcard from the Cook Islands

This is the last post of 2011, what better way to end this year with a postcard from the exotic  Cook Islands!

---  Happy 2012! ---

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“The 15 islands of the Cooks lie halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, scattered like fragrant frangipani petals floating across 2.2 million square kilometres of a seductive, sensual ocean. Boasting rare beauty, an idyllic climate, warm welcoming people with the widest white smiles and a pace of life unsurpassed for peace: the Cook Islands is Paradise.”(www.cookislands.travel)

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(left) Raratonga Starling. Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands.

(right) Spanish Dancer, a very large and colorful sea slug.

THX Rod!

Traditional Omani Dance

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The music of Oman has been strongly affected by the country's coastal location, with Omani sailors interacting with, and bringing back music from, Egypt, Tanzania and elsewhere. More recently, a Portuguese occupation has left its own marks, while geographic neighbors like the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran have also had a profound influence.

In contrast to other Arab countries, Omani traditional music has a strong emphasis on rhythm. Drums are an important part of many Omani dances to keep the timing as they chant/sing.

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National symbol of Oman: Khanjar Knife (a silver, hand- crafted knife or dagger).